


safe by his side

by IdlyWoolgathering



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: (obviously this is all about their characters lmao), Betrayal, El Rapids, Manipulative Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Unreliable Narrator, dream doesn't understand why sapnap and george left him, in dream's eyes anyway, takes place before tommy goes to techno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:14:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28586316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IdlyWoolgathering/pseuds/IdlyWoolgathering
Summary: What had gone wrong? When had his friends turned against him, and how could Dream have not seen it sooner so he could stop it? They were supposed to be the Dream Team, indestructible and together- always three. Not one and El Rapids.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	safe by his side

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea for a bit, but here it finally is! The idea is that Dream, unable to accept that it might be his own actions driving Sapnap and George away, is blaming it all on anything else (mainly Quackity). Also, I don't have a beta reader and wrote this in about an hour so please excuse any mistakes!

In the before, it was warm.

_Dream blinks awake, squinting at the bright sky above him. Stars are scattered across the dark sky, lit by purples, greens, and pinks. There's a shift and a gentle hum and Dream's gaze snaps down. A slight smile plays across his lips as his mind catches up._

_George is curled into his chest, hair mussed and face soft. His glasses are pushed up on his head, put of the way. Dream likes seeing him like this- peaceful and relaxed. George can be stiff sometimes, a bit too formal and polite. He detaches himself sometimes, tries to hide his affection._

_On his other side, Sapnap is on his stomach, head half-buried in his arms, half in Dream's shoulder. His breathing is even, snoring lightly on his exhale. His side pressed against Dream's, warm and solid. It's a different side to the man than he's used to, the quiet and still side. He likes it on him, the peace. It seems like Sapnap is constantly moving, talking, singing, going._

_That's why it had been so surprising this afternoon when the two of them had willingly joined Dream in the field to watch the clouds. At some point, Dream supposes, they must have dozed off in the sun. They're lucky no mobs had come across them. Dream's arm tightens slightly around George, fingers curling into Sapnap's shirt. They'll have to go back, soon. Before Bad gets worried, before something nefarious finds them._

_Just a moment longer, Dream decides, turning his gaze back to the sky._

_One more moment won't hurt._

Dream opens his eyes to the starry sky with a scowl, chest cold.

There is no George and Sapnap with him now, just his own self and the twisting pain in his chest. The chill is seeping into his back from the dirt below him and he hears the distant creak of a skeleton. What had gone wrong? When had his friends turned against him, and how could Dream have not seen it sooner so he could stop it? They were supposed to be the Dream Team, indestructible and together- always three. Not one and El Rapids.

Dream's lips curl at the thought of the upstart country and its founder.

_Quackity._

When had that stupid little shapeshifting bastard worked his way in between them? When had he stolen Sapnap's gaze and directed it to his own vision, stolen George's smile for his own? When had he stolen the two of them from _Dream?_

Dream's stomach churns in anger. Why can't George and Sapnap see that he's trying to fucking protect them? If they would just do what he said none of this would be a problem! It never used to be. What had changed?

_The others hate you, you know that,_ a dark voice in his head hisses, _they're lying to George and Sapnap- trying to twist them against you. They must me!_

_They're my friends, not his. Mine!_ Dream protests, his grip on Nightmare tightening. How dare he? How dare Quackity try to steal George and Sapnap from him? Twist his words to confuse them?

“ _George,” Sapnap spits, gaze venomous, “Dream said he didn't care about anything on this SMP, which, that just means he doesn't care about us,” George's eyes are shuttered, flickering up beyond Dream's shoulder for a moment. To where Quackity is standing by Tommy's old house, watching silently, carefully._

“ _Okay, well, obviously I wasn't-” Dream stutters desperately, mind whirling, “I didn't actually mean I didn't care about anything!” George's jaw tightens, turning to lock eyes with his mask._

“ _Why did you say it then?”_

It should have been obvious to him the moment Quackity started trying to make a new country with George that nothing good could come of it. But the man was always doing something new- jumping from thing to thing with seemingly no more importance than a simple laugh. But, Dream supposes, no one took him seriously during the election, and see where that ended. Even Schlatt didn't take the shapeshifter seriously, and Quackity had taken one of his lives for it.

No, Dream should not have underestimated Quackity.

Now he sees his mistake, so fixated on Wilbur and Tommy and the discs that he couldn't see the sharp intelligence behind the humor. The man was just hiding behind the more... explosive members of the SMP. Not that they mattered much anymore- both out of the way, fates so perfect Dream couldn't have planned it better.

Wilbur had been infuriating with his resistance, with his new ideas and inspiring speeches. He was insignificant now, spilling sadness and secrets everywhere he went. No one listens to Wilbur anymore, no one remembers his ideas the same way. Tainted by TNT and insanity and the sad thing he was now, Wilbur is _pathetic_. Dream finds a twisted pleasure in it.

Even Tommy isn't really an issue anymore, as he is. All alone except for the occasional visitor. Dream has to admit, he was a bit surprised by how many people wanted to help the troublemaker, but they're easily taken care of. Bad scared away, and Ranboo's mail easily stolen. Stupid, forgetful little thing he is, he doesn't even _realize_. Dream likes to see Tommy's responses, getting more and more confused and jumbled.

Soon, Dream won't have to worry about Tommy at all, he'll be his own downfall, breaking just like his mentor. He'll either kill himself or finally realize the error of his ways. It's all working out the way Dream wants it to. The way his face lights in excitement and fear at the sight of Dream instead of anger and defiance is delicious. It gives him a rush, he likes destroying the armor, he likes hurting Tommy- Dream pauses at the thought, discomfort twisting in his stomach.

_Does_ he like hurting him?

He shelves the idea uncomfortably. He didn't mean that, of course. It was just an accidental thought, that's all. What he _meant_ to say was that it was nice to see Tommy finally doing as he's told, finally not causing issues. That's what he meant, nothing more or less. And what's wrong with that? People are supposed to listen to him. Things go wrong when they don't, why can't they see that?

“ _George, don't- you don't have to do anything he says,” Sapnap warns softly. There is nothing hidden in his hateful gaze. In the shaking way he draws his bow back, in the way he always sticks to George's side like Dream is going to hurt them._

“ _Okay, Sapnap,” Dream spits, “he does, first of all-”_

“ _What?” George breaks in, anger and confusion sparking in his eyes._

“ _-and second of all,” Dream pushes on, “I was asking because- obviously George understands and George is better,” he sees the hurt spread across Sapnap's face before it hardens._

“ _Do you understand, George?” Sapnap asks. George is silent and panic starts to spark in Dream's chest._

“ _Sapnap, stop,” Dream demands, “why are you trying to divide us?”_

“ _Me?” Sapnap asks incredulously, “me divide us?”_

“ _Yes!” Dream exclaims, exasperated._

“ _Me?” Sapnap repeats, sharing a glance with George that Dream doesn't understand. Why doesn't he understand- what are they doing? Why won't they listen to him?_

Dream just wishes he understood. He didn't think George would care all that much about giving up the crown- it's not like he actually did anything as King. Nothing that Dream didn't tell him to do. Didn't George trust him to do what was best for him? To make the right decisions to keep him safe?

_Why weren't you there to protect me?_

_He doesn't care about us, George._

Why don't they understand? Of course he cares about them, of course he would care if something happened to them. That's why he's doing this- to protect them. So why are they doing this? Why are they standing against him right now?

Dream doesn't understand.

He supposes he doesn't need to. He just needs to fix Quackity's defiance- make Sapnap and George see that they were wrong to follow him. Wrong to leave Dream's side, wrong to disobey him. Then they'll come crawling back to him and things can go back to normal.

They've strayed from him now, but they don't understand what they're doing. Quackity's just confused them, twisted their thoughts. But he doesn't have their hearts- Dream still has those, he's sure. He loves them and they love him. They must. They have to.

“Soon,” he whispers to the sky, silently promising his friends, “soon you'll be here with me again,”

Safe and sound by his side where they _belong_.

He'll make sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> uh oh


End file.
